Cents make it a 4-peat at Mt. SAC

Saugus takes top honors at Mt. SAC race for fourth straight year

Karis Frankian, who finished second overall at the Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, paced the Saugus team with a time of 17 minutes, 38 seconds.

During the first half-mile of her race, struggling to get over the flu, Saugus’ Kaylin Mahoney got knocked down and then “trampled” by a swarm of runners on Mt. San Antonio College’s cross country course Saturday.

True to her defending CIF State Division II cross country individual champion form, Mahoney got up, shook it off and finished the race ninth overall.

Add illness and tramplings to the list of things that can’t stop her team from finishing strong.

Saugus girls cross country team’s time of 1 hour, 30 minutes, 12 seconds was good enough to take a fourth straight Grand Sweepstakes Champion title at the Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational.

“I was definitely happy with our performance considering the situation with several people sick,” said Saugus head coach Rene Paragas. “Mahoney was tripped and fell and got trampled, but then she got up and did what was needed for her team.”

Paragas described the meet as his team’s most important of the year, since it combined the top-two CIF divisions, which includes the entire Foothill League, as well as top programs from the Southwest and even two teams from Canada.

Saugus’ Karis Frankian ran the top individual time of any Foothill League runner with 17 minutes, 38 seconds, good for second overall at Mt. SAC.

West Ranch’s girls took fourth place overall with a team time of 1 hour, 34 minutes, 56 seconds.

Wildcats head coach Randy Smith said the performance was definitely a confidence-booster in preparation for CIF prelims, which are held at Mt. SAC’s course.

“We always kind of worry about this place because we haven’t run well here,” Smith said. “But if you want to get to state, you have to run on Mt. SAC, and now I think we can run on this course. I think we have a real legitimate shot at the state meet now.”

Jennifer Owen paced the Wildcats with a time of 18 minutes, 19 seconds, which was good for 12th overall.

On the boys’ side, Valencia finished third in the team trials with a time of 1 hour, 21 minutes, 10 seconds, which was one second better than the fourth-place Centurions.

“Our kids ran great and it looks like they got rid of the flu,” said Valencia co-head coach Pat Connelly.

“I had my five guys with 34 seconds between them, and we’re starting to look pretty good going into the third (Foothill League) meet.”

Saugus was missing runners A.J. Hebert and Kurt Lutz, who were out with the flu.

Sean Krinik was Valencia’s top runner in the individual sweepstakes with a time of 15 minutes, 51 seconds, which was good for 24th overall.

For the boys, Robert Pion was Saugus’ top runner at 15 minutes, 48 second, which was good for 22nd overall.

Sam Peckham paced Hart’s boys with a time of 15 minutes, 51 seconds, which was good enough for sixth overall in Division II. Grace Zamudio won the girls race with a time of 18 minutes, 55 seconds, and Hart’s girls finished second overall in their division.

Canyon’s boys took fourth place in the Division II sweepstakes with a team time of 1 hour, 20 minutes, 32 seconds. The Cowboys were paced by Tommy McGuan, who ran a time of 15 minutes, 19 seconds, which was good for 10th in his division.

Golden Valley’s boys won the Division III sweepstakes on Friday, led by Seth Totten’s time of 15 minutes, 6 seconds, which was good for second in his division.

“That was huge for our program, because it’s the first big race that we’ve won,” said Grizzlies head coach Rob Evans.

Freshman Chelsey Totten finished first overall in her division for girls varsity with a time of 19 minutes, 50 seconds.